Books on Parenting, Family, and Couple-Related Issues

About Love: Reinventing Romance for Our Times by Robert C. Solomon—The late Dr. Solomon, a former professor at the University of Texas, writes a thoughtful reflection about love, and how love is often different from how it is portrayed in the wider society.And Baby Makes Three: The Six-Step Plan for Preserving Marital Intimacy and Rekindling Romance After Baby Arrives by John Gottman and Julie Schwartz Gottman—These influential researchers and therapists discuss many of the practical realities that couples face when they have a child including how to handle disagreements and cultivate romance amidst changing family dynamics.Far From the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity by Andrew Solomon—Solomon is a thoughtful writer and speaker. In this book he speaks with a unique voice about families coping with deafness, dwarfism, Down syndrome, autism, schizophrenia, multiple severe disabilities, children who are prodigies, who are conceived in rape, who become criminals, and who are transgendered. He candidly explores the range of human potential and experience.Fatherwise: 101 Tips for a New Father by Alice Bolster—A nice, short book of practical reflections for busy fathers.From Diapers to Dating: A Parent's Guide to Raising Sexually Healthy Children by Debra Haffner—As the title implies, a clear, practical guide to handling topics that many parents understandably often struggle with.Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couplesby Harville Hendrix—A popular text for couples, filled with self-exploration exercises.How to Raise an Amazing Child the Montessori Way by Tim Seldin—The Montessori approach to educating children is revolutionary. I personally believe it is a welcome antidote to many of the seemingly intractable problems in our wider educational system. Here is a practical guide for using Montessori principles for empowering young children in the home.How to Survive the Loss of a Loveby Peter McWilliams, Harold H. Bloomfield, and Melba Colgrove—There are many forms of grief. When a relationship ends, it can be devastating. Here is a compassionate, practical book that helps guide many people through painful breakups and can help people to live again. How to Talk So Teens Will Listen and Listen So Teens Will Talkby Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish—A book I really enjoy. A great, practical tool, filled with examples, for how to communicate and listen to the children in our lives. The Mindful Couple: How Acceptance and Mindfulness Can Lead You to the Love You Wantby Robyn D Walser and Darrah Westrup—Mindfulness is an empirically validated and leading paradigm in mental health. And mindfulness is a practical way to transform relationships. Misconceptions: Truth, Lies, and the Unexpected on the Journey to Motherhoodby Naomi Wolf—Few experiences in life provide more unexpected challenges (and joys) than parenting. And yet, we often don’t have candid conversations in our society about the unique difficulties that mothers face. Naomi Wolf bravely discusses her own journey, and explores important topics ranging from postpartum depression to how the medical establishment treats expectant mothers.Positive Discipline [series] by Jane Nelsen—Many parents struggle with how to handle conflicts with children. Here’s a practical, and frequently cited, resource.Protecting the Gift: Keeping Children and Teenagers Safe (and Parents Sane)by Gavin de Becker—A personal favorite of mine. Gavin de Becker writes candidly about how to handle situations that parents fear the most. Raising Freethinkers: A Practical Guide for Parenting Beyond Beliefby Dale McGowan, Molleen Matsumura, Amanda Metskas and Jan Devor—I attended a conference a few years ago led by Dale McGowan. He’s an intelligent, insightful pioneer in the emerging field of raising freethinking children. Studies suggest atheism and agnosticism are growing rapidly in the U.S. And yet there are few resources for non-religious parents. Here’s a great one. Reconcilable Differences: Rebuild Your Relationship by Rediscovering the Partner You Love-without Losing Yourself by Andrew Christensen, Brian D. Doss, and Neil S. Jacobson—A practical, popular guide for couples rooted in the concept of acceptance.

10 Mindful Minutes: Giving our Children—and Ourselves—the Social and Emotional Skills to Reduce Stress and Anxiety for Healthier, Happier Lives by Goldie Hawn and Wendy Holden --Inspired by the MindUP program, this book contains a forward by researcher Dan Siegel and offers simple, practical ways to develop mindfulness for both children and parents.

Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn—A classic. Helpful for communication, the complex topic of discipline, and how to understand things from a child’s perspective

Understanding the Human Being by Silvana Quattrocchi Montanaro—Dr. Montanaro illuminates the world of infants from a Montessori perspective.